Mar 1, 2014

Beetroot Halwa

When I tried Beetroot Halwa at a Restaurant (Paradise in Plano in DFW Area), I have a longing to make this wonderful, colorful and delicious Dessert. Usually It's rare that anyone jumps up for Beetroot, when i saw Beetroot Halwa name at the Buffet section I thought I should try this. Normally I skip any desserts, and mostly you see Carrot Halwa at Buffet in Parties or in restaurants. So two unusual things happen that day, One, Beetroot Halwa at the Buffet Section and Second, Me trying Dessert, that resulted in the making of Beetroot Halwa in my kitchen. The taste is amazing and once you taste you will addict to this. Isn't it wonderful way to eat up all the Beetroot! So next time, lock up your carrots in closet and try this colorful Beetroot Halwa. Here is the recipe, Njoy!

Trim the edges of the Beetroot, Peel and wash. Grate the beetroot in medium grate setting.

Heat 1 tsp Ghee in non-stick pan and fry all the Nuts until they turn golden color.

Grind the Cardamom Pods in Mortar and remove the cardamom peels

Heat the Milk in microwave for 3 min.

Method:

Heat non-stick pan and add 1 Tbsp Ghee. Add grated beetroot to it and stir fry on medium heat until the raw smell of the beetroot goes away. ( it will take some time at least 7 to 10 min, Be Patient, this is critical step).

Add boiled milk to the Beetroot. At this point you will get very light pink, don't get Panic, it will come back to it's dark color once the milk evaporates.

Mix Beetroot with milk and keep on stirring to avoid any sticking to the bottom of the pan. After 5 min, you will notice milk evaporates and leaving the cream infused into Beetroot.

Add Sugar to the pan, you will see the caramelization starts and then add cardamom powder to the pan.

Mix everything well and keep on stirring until it starts separates. Add remaining Ghee to the pan, you will notice that will make it to Halwa consistency. Now add Fried Nuts to the pan and switch off the stove, but leave the pan on the stove until it cools down.

Once it is cool down, serve into serving bowls, add additional nuts for garnish and serve warm. It leaves the small bliss in you mouth for every bite you will have! I am not exaggerating, make it for yourself and try it to believe me. :-)

Tips:

Frying the Beetroot until the raw smell goes away is very critical and key step for the great flavor at the end.

If you try Large grating setting, you will get nice flakes of Beetroot in the Halwa.

I always like nuts in Halwas, if you are not Nuts about nuts, you can skip it with no issues.

Some people add some Kova ( or Mawa) in this recipe, but I preferred to keep it little light, Hence I skipped it.

If you are first time trying halwa recipes, I suggest try in small quantities. the measures that are given here are good for small yields.

If you want large quantities you can double or multiply the measurements accordingly based on crowd at the party or potluck.